Who is protecting the vulnerable? -1-

Illegal immigrants in the UK are targets for criminals and armed gangs, illegal immigrants have no rights, the state won't provide protection to the "illegals", inspite the fact that according to the UDHR, those "illegal" human beings must be guaranteed the very basic human rights, most importantly PROTECTION!

Home

My home is not a place… it doesn’t have walls or trees.

رزق الله!

بتتذكروا أناني الحليب القزاز, يلي بدها فتاحة كازوز؟؟
بتتذكروا الكازوز شو كان بارد وطيب لما يكون في شوب و عجقة و غبرا...
بتتذكروا شبابيك السيارة القديمة كيف بتنفتح و بتتسكر يدويا؟؟
بتتذكروا أغطية الأدنين الصوف لما كنا نطلع على بلودان كل ما شفنا بنشرة الأخبار الجوية أنه في ( تساقط ثلوج على المرتفعات)
بتتذكروا أشرطة الفيديو الكبيرة قديش كانو يتشربكوا.
بتتذكروا الكنكنة و الدفا لما يمدوا السجاد على أول الشتوية؟؟
بتتذكروا لما كان بابا كتير طويل و جدو طويل كتير و طانت ماجدة عملاقة و الكيت كات الملفوفة بسولوفان من مضايا كتير طيبة؟
بتتذكروا صوت الرجلين و هنن حافيين عالبلاط لما نركض بالكوليدور قبل ما ينمد السجاد؟
بتتذكروا لما كنا فهمانين كلشي بس عاملين حالنا ما منفهم شي.
بتتذكروا لما كنا كبار, كتير كبار بس الكل بيقولوا عنا صغار؟

17

17 people are killed… and no one knows any thing, no news agency knows any thing, no further details but ... 17 people are killed.

200kg of explosive… who, how, and why…
17 people are killed…I can't think right now, my brother was on his way to the airport.

They say it might be an assassination, and they say it might be only a threat to the national security.

17 people are killed

"المهاجران" لسوافومير مروجيك من إخراج سامر عمران "The Emigrants" A play by Slawomir Mrozek directed by Samer Omran

تعتبر مسرحية المهاجران إحدى أنضج مسرحيات الكاتب البولوني المعاصر سوافومير مروجيك : هذا العمل المكتوب في منتصف السبعينيات في مناخ الحرب الباردة وانقسام العالم إلى معسكرين يكتسب في لحظة أحادية القطب الحالية معنىً جديداً. فمع العولمة تغدو لصفة المهاجر معانٍ جديدة، توحدها كلها صفة القسرية. منذ الخمسينيات اعتاد البشر على الضحك المجرد مع مهرجي بيكيت الوجوديين المنتظرين على قارعة طريق في انتظار
غودو. مسرحيتنا أكثر واقعية وقسوة. مهاجرانا – مهرّجانا لهما - ويا للسخرية - جنسيات وجوازات سفر، ولا شجرة لهما وهما في القبو، والليلة هي رأس السنة... يكتشف جمهور دمشق إذاً للمرة الأولى في إخراج سامر عمران نموذجاً كلاسيكياً-معاصراً لحداثة مسرح أوروبا الشرقية في نكهته المريرة « دراما مغسلة المطبخ » واللاذعة، ويرى معه تجاوز المسرح الأوروبي لتجريدية عبث الخمسينيات والسطح الواقعي لمسرح الحياة اليومية الفرنسي أو الإنجليزية في السبعينيات مع أحد كبار كتاب الانشقاق ومجالدة الأنظمة الأمنية في العالم، صاحب "التانغو" و"ستربتيز" و"حب في القرم".


"the Emigrants" is considered one of the most sophisticated play by the Polish playwriter Slavomir Mrozek. It was written in the mid-seventies during the cold world erawhich saw the world split into two blocs. Now, at a time when this polarisation no longer exists, it takes on a new meaning, In a globalised world, the word "Emigrant" has acquired different connotations. Which all share a sense of compulsion. Since the fifties, we have become accustimed to the abstract laughter with Beckett's existentialist clowns, waiting on the roadsde in "Waiting for Godot". This play is more realistic and hard-hitting, and our clowns – ironically – have nationalities and passports, yet no tree. They are now in the basement and today is the New Year's Eve.
With the direction of Samer Omran, the Damascus audience will see for the first time a typical play of contemporary- classical eastern European theatre. With its bitter and bitting humour. This theatre that goes beyond the abstract qualities of the fifties' absurdity, the realism of the French daily life theatre and the English "Kitchen sink Drama" of the seventies. Here the audience is going to be with one of the most important playwriters rekated to resistance of repression.

من الخميس 25 أيلول – الساعة 9 مساء – ملجأ القزازين ( شارع بغداد – قرب مقبرة الدحداح)
Starting September 25th – 8:00 PM, at al-Qazzazin Shelter (Baghdad street

Don't miss it!

Homosexuals in Syria, the ignorant ignoring of a right of existence

I will go directly to the agruement that I've been through lots of times while discussing the cause of homosexuals in Syria.
The claim that homosexuality is "abnormal" is completely illogical because homosexuality does exisit just like heterosexuality exisits among all kinds of people, you can't in anyway disregard the fact that like heterosexuals have sexual relationships with the opposite sex, homosexuals have sexual relatioships with the same sex, different sexual orientations but same human nature, so .. Homosexuality can't be called "abnormal".

The claim that homosexuals can destroy the society is just a "hatred statement" and allow me to describe it as the most rediculous claim because it claims that allowing homosexuals to express their sexual orientations can spread out and that means that no one is going to be heterosexual any more and so no one would have children and so the growth of the society would be stopped and the world would end….
Seriously…. There are people who strongly believe so, and not in Syria alone, all around the world!
Giving homosexuals the right to express their sexual orientations is something that should be taken for granted and not argued, and if giving the right of expressing will spread homosexuality among people, it will only allowe people who are homosexuals to accept themslves and allow the society to accept and respect the rights of homosexuals and promote equality, it will not turn every one into homosexual unless he/she is.

According to all human laws, homosexuals JUST LIKE heterosexuals have the right of freedom of expression, of believe, of having sexual relationships, of marriege, of equal treatment, of BLOOD DONATION!!!!, of not having or beeing forced into hiding a part of who they are, so how come some laws in the middle east, like the Syrian law ban these human rights on the basis of sexual orientations instead of promoting them!!!!


I mean seriously… how rediculous that sounds? :
Read it carefully, and think about it for a minute…

"it is illegal to have different sexual orientations in Syria".

Conspiracy Theory (critisizing!)

As a reply of the comments that criticized my previous post


"the conspiracy theory"" that was an expression of feelings. I follow the policy of not editing my post or deleting comments.
This was my reply to wassim critisizing me not offereing an alternative or analyzing to the frustiration I was feeling when writing the post:
" Wassim, my problem with this way of thinking is that it enforces the mentality of submition due to such religious "sayings".
I think the problem is bigger than this, the problem is with the way religion is used in this humilating way to control the minds of simple people who are searching for any relief, any thing that helps them to stand this unjust and the best way is by telling them that this is God's will… great drug to make them submit to the reality.
Religoius leaders use these " methods" consciously and unconsciously as they are victims as well to the weak structure of the society that is framed by religion; religions in general are so open to the elements of rumors, lies and theories and when that keep in the way the individual is living his life that is something but when it is used to encourage people to be isolated from the world and encourage the fear of the other and paranoia and enforce the submission mentality that is when I should not keep silent."

The conspiracy theory

Sketch 1-

Sitting with friends in the old city, chatting about different stuff when suddenly someone who is a friend of my friend said this intersting statement:
"well, in Quran it says the Palestinian case will not be solved till the Doom Day"
Me: "…………….. – weird face reaction-………………….."
"ask any shekh, ya3ny as long as Masonics keep controling the word, we –as Arabs- will never recover"
Me: "……………. – straight face-……………………………."

Sketch 2-

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent/2008/07/the-cola-conspi.html
الله يهنيكون بهالعقل المتفتح و القدرة على التحليل.... يعني الله يخليلكون قرآنكون و نظرياتكون و شيوخكون الكرماء المنزلين رحمة من السماء
بس
إيمتى رح تنفك هالعقد فيكون بقى؟
when will we be able to look inside reality rather than switching theories that victimize Arabs and Muslims?
It breaks my heart to see not a small percentage of Syrian youth getting involved with such idiotic theories without even bother to research or to look inside the fragile society that we live in?
NO… it is not the fuckin occupation, it is not Israel conspiracy, this is our conspiracy agaisnt ourselves.
و بخصوص الكرامة و الشعب العنيد.... شو؟

The concept of Volunteering in Syrian NGOs

The concept of volunteering in Syria:
Individually: a nice t-shirt, few photographs, little work to do and posing to Lyaleena magazine, then going out celebrating the "good" sense of humanity that all volunteers have…
This is where people place the principle of volunteering in Syria.

Mostly, in the Syrian mentality volunteering is not taken as the act or result of sense of responsibility toward the community. It is always some one else's job or responsibility. Neglecting the obligation that each individual has toward his or her own communities.
Not to ignore that our people are lack of believe in the power of one and so in the power of small groups/societies.

What we have learned and we have been taught in schools since very early childhood through "kawmya" classes and even through reading classes is that the "one" emerges in the "all" and the individual suppose to be melted in the society in order to become a "good citizen".
This is in my opinion the worst way toward creating the individual's sense of responsibility that is needed.
We need to encourage our people to identify themselves as independent powerful individuals who have the free will to participate and at the same time to make them realize that the state must be a public concern what ever their religious, political or even sexual orientations are.
And when we realize these facts and when people recognize the power of their individuality they can then build responsibility and sense of ownership toward their society.

We need to realize that good practice of citizenship is not through being neutral when it comes to decisions made by the state, or in another expression by staying away from troubles but good practice of citizenship is by being active members of the civil society –if there is any-

Citizenship must carry out actions that are results from loyalty to the society rather than the state.

Now I really do not know how I am going to start talking about Syrian NGOs without going through the confusion of the non-existence of the civil society.
Very few NGOs are now active in Syrian communities but mostly these NGOs are rather international like Red Crescent/Cross or religiously selective like the scouts or Islamic orphanages, or supported by public governmental figures like Syria Trust…
Very few NGOs started by individual or group's initiation who have a vision about a better society.

Moreover, on a smaller scale; NGOs with seasonal activities, which meant to be there only as a social image used, by some people from specific social class without any sense of compassion is involved in these NGOs.

On the other hand, NGOs which are struggling to survive legally or financially to exist in the reality of the non- existence of civil society.

Even NGOs who made it through these challenges and those who were approved by the state
are still facing one of the biggest threats for its effectiveness; which are simply the lack of two fundamental factors to any organization that are independence & freedom in which the NGO is given the resources or freedom to find its own to do research and independent space to put plans into action and the total freedom in pointing out the areas of society the need to be restructured or developed toward the wanted change.

This leads again to questioning the role of the already existing NGOs and if these NGOs are able to deliver and express the will of the society to the state with the absence of a protective law that can back their existence and activities.

Its long way till Syria will be able to create a proper volunteering culture which holds the society visions and common interests of its individuals who hold the will to change.
And maybe when the concept of citizenship is realized as responsibility toward the society rather than the state; maybe then, we will have the majority as empowered individuals who are seeking a civil society that express their will.

*what meant by NGOs in here are only charitable and cutltural NGOs , it is still way early to recognize legal, human right NGOs